Electrical indicating means



Aug. 3, 1965 H. F. EDWARDS ELECTRICAL INDICATING MEANS Filed March 16,1965 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,199,100 ELECTRICAL INDICATING MEANSHarrison F. Edwards, Pleasantville, N.Y., assignor to Simmonds PrecisionProducts, Inc, Tarrytown, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 16,1965, Ser. No. 443,766 4 Claims. (til. 340-373) This invention relatesto indicators and is particularly suitable for displaying the result ofan operation of a remotely located device such as a digital readoutmeter which is capable of responding to a plurality of discretevoltages.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No.107,224, filed May .2, 1961, by the same inventor, entitled ReluctanceFlag.

The general object of the invention is to provide a remotely controlledindicator operating on the hitherto known magnetic principle that a fluxfield tends to establish a particular path that will contain certainflux lines.

Another object of the invention is the inclusion of a miniscule assemblyof elements for an electromagnetic indicator capable of operating oneither AC. or DC.

According to the present invention, a field assembly comprising a coilwinding is sandwiched between a pair of spaced substantially parallelplates of magnetizable material and, thereafter, positioned between aframe element which is generally U-shaped in configuration and hasparallel spaced apertured upstanding legs. A nonmagnetic rotary memberis confined between the upstanding legs of the frame above the coilwinding. A hairspring is associated with a portion of the rotary mem-*er and the frame to bias the rotary member to a position of rest. Asuitable band of magnetizable material is affixed to and encircles therotary member, and, upon energization of the coil winding of theelectromagnetic field assembly from a remote source, effects a rotativemovement of the rotary member thereby positioning the widest extent ofthe band adjacent to the coil winding.

in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magneticallyinfluenced band, and, particularly, in a flat development thereof, thereare a plurality of laterally extending teeth forming the termini of oneend of said band, the root portions of which merge with the other end ofsaid band.

Also in accordance with the teaching of this invention, there isprovided an overlying lamina in the form of an indicia carrying bandthat is placed about the rotary member and over the aforesaid toothedmagnetic band so that, under the influence of the coil Winding, therotary member will revolve a predetermined distance to provide anappropriate signal.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description when read in the light of the attached drawingin which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the elements from which the indicator isassembled;

FIG. 2 is a fiat development of the metal laminate underlying theindicator lamina;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completely assembled electromagneticindicator;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the coil assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the rotary support.

Referring to FIG. 1, the reference numeral indicates a generallyU-shaped frame, the upstanding legs of which are suitably apertured forpurposes that will be apparent as the specification progresses.

The spool-like element 26, also referred to herein as a rotary member,should be non-magnetic, and accordingly, it may be produced from anynumber of synthetic or natural resins, for example, acrylic, alkyds,amino resins, epoxy resins, polyethylene, polyamides, phenolic resins,

3,199,100 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 polyesters, polystyrene and other vinylpolymers and copolymers.

A coil win-ding 34 provided with customary leads is sandwiched betweenpole plates 35-35 of magnetizable material and while retained injuxtaposed relation a low carbon steel core is introduced through theaxially aligned apertures of the coil and the plates. In a preferredassembly operation, particularly since the completely assembledindicator is miniscule, an extension 36' is provided on one end of thecore to facilitate assembly. Subsequent to insertion in the alignedopenings of the coil and plates one end of the core is swaged over asrepresented at 36, and the extension 36', thereafter, broken away fromthe free end of the core where it passes through the adjacent plate.After the elements comprising the field assembly are unitized, it isplaced into the upstanding legs of the frame 25. This will be bestunderstood by referring to FIG. 3.

The rotary member shown in the exploded view of FIG. 1 and also shown inFIG. 5, may be produced by extrusion molding, etc., and is provided witha cylindrical body portion 27 and an enlarged collar element 28. Thediametrically opposed ends of the rotary member are also shown as havingaxially aligned reduced portions 29 and 30, respectively. The spool-likebody is apertured in any suitable manner during or after manufacture andadapted to receive a polished steel pintle 31, which is positioned inthe apertures 32 and 33, respectively, to thereby support the spool forrelative rotation between the upstanding arms of the frame 25.

Prior to assembly of the aforesaid spool element within the confines ofthe arms of frame 25, the remainder of the elements shown in theexploded view must be assembled therewith.

The hairspring 37, which is made of phosphor bronze or any othersuitable spring-like material that is nonmagnetic and, accordingly, notinfluenced by the electromagnet, is fastened about the collar 29. Thedepending free end or leg 38 of the hairspring is secured to pin 39which projects inwardly of one of the arms of frame They alloy metalmagnetic band 40, shown best in the flat development of FIG. 2,generally approximates a pair of sawteeth. In the exploded view, theaxially extending tapered elements 41 form the termini at one end of themagnetic band and the apexes are arranged in circumferentially spacedrelation while the bases thereof merge into the other end of said band.

The magnetic band 40 is wound about the cylindrical body 27 of the spoolin any preferred manner. Thereafter, a decal 42 bearing suitableinformative indicia is secured about magnetic band 40 by means of aself-adhesive or any other preferred manner. The decal is colored in amanner such as by having a black matte finish to provide contrastbetween it and the indicia signal OFF.

It is believed to be apparent to those skilled in the art that uponenergization of the coil winding 34 of the field assembly the flux fieldbetween the pole plates 35 will seek out a path of least reluctancewhich in the present device is produced by the magnetic attractioneffect on the magnetizable band 40 which rotates the cylinder 27 to aposition where the band has the greatest amount of fiux lines passingtherethrough. This position would define in minimum air gap between thepole plates 35 wherein the base portion of the sawtooth-shaped band isadjacent the coil winding 34. In this position, only the black matteportion of the decal is visible. The inwardly extending stop pin shownassembled with an arm of the frame 25 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is of sufficientlength to project into the path of travel of the rotary member. Thecylinder 27 is provided with a shelf 43 that engages the stop pin 45 tothereby limit revolution of the rotary member to substantially ninetydegrees from an indicia displaying position to a non-displaying positionor vice versa.

From the foregoing discussion it is apparent that considerablemodification of the features of this invention is possible but it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to this precise deviceand form of apparatus and that changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention which is defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. An indicating device comprising a U-shaped frame including a baseportion and upstanding spaced legs, a field assembly including laterallyspaced magnetizable plates with an electromagnetic coil winding disposedtherebetween, said spaced plates being confined between said spaced legswith the aXis of said coil being normal to said plates, a non-magneticrotary member of approximate cylindrical shape, pintle means forrotatably mount- 1 ing said member about an axis parallel to said platesadjacent the ends of said legs of said U-shaped frame, a sawtooth shapedband of magnetizable material surrounding the periphery of said rotarymember, and indicia hearing element overlying said band, and springmeans cooperating with one end of said rotary member and one of saidspaced legs of said U-shaped frame for biasing said member to a fixedposition wherein said band presents a substantially maximum air gapbetween said plates.

2. An indicating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sawtoothshaped band comprises axially extending tapered elements which form thetermini of one end of said magnetic band the apexes of which are incircumferentially spaced relation and the bases of which merge adjacentto the other end of said band.

3. An indicating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-magneticrotary support comprises a substantially cylindrical spool-like element.

4. An indicating device comprising a U-shaped frame including a baseportion and upstanding spaced legs, a field assembly including laterallyspaced magnetizable plates with an electromagnetic coil winding disposedtherebetween, said spaced plates being confined between said spaced legswith the axis of said coil being normal to said plates, a non-magneticrotary member of approximate cylindrical shape, pintle means forrotatably mounting said member about an axis parallel to said platesadjacent the ends of said legs of said U-shaped frame, a sawtooth shapedband of magnetizable material surrounding the periphery of said rotarymember and spring means cooperating with one end of said rotary memberand one of said spaced legs of said U-shaped frame, said spring meansbiasing said member in a fixed position wherein said band presents asubstantially maximum air gap between said plates.

No references cited.

NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

1. AN INDICATING DEVICE COMPRISING A U-SHAPED FRAME INCLUDING A BASEPORTION AND UPSTANDING SPACED LEGS, A FIELD ASSEMBLY INCLUDING LATERALLYSPACED MAGNETIZABLE PLATES WITH AN ELECTROMAGNETIC COIL WINDING DISPOSEDTHEREBETWEEN, SAID SPACED PLATES BEING CONFINED BETWEEN SAID SPACED LEGSWITH THE AXIS OF SAID COIL BEING NORMAL TO SAID PLATES, A NON-MAGNETICROTARY MEMBER OF APPROXIMATE CYLINDRICAL SHAPE, PINTLE MEANS FORROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID MEMBER ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID PLATESADJACENT THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED FRAME, A SAWTOOTH SHAPEDBAND OF MAGNETIZABLE MATERIAL SURROUNDING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTARYMEMBER, AND INDICIA BEARING ELEMENT OVERLYING SAID BAND, AND SPRINGMEANS COOPERATING WITH ONE END OF SAID ROTARY MEMBER AND ONE OF SAIDSPACED LEGS OF SAID U-SHAPED FRAME FOR BIASING SAID MEMBER TO A FIXEDPOSITION WHEREIN SAID BAND PRESENTS A SUBSTANTIALLY MAXIMUM AIR GAPBETWEEN SAID PLATES.